DHS/BORDER PATROL SUBPOENA META TO UNMASK INSTAGRAM ACTIVISTS WHO NAMED BORDER AGENT

After StopICE.net and allied accounts posted an Instagram video identifying a Border Patrol agent seen at LA immigration raids, DHS—apparently via Border Patrol—issued an administrative subpoena to Meta seeking subscriber data for the accounts. The developer behind StopICE.net filed a motion to quash, arguing DHS exceeded its authority and chilled protected speech and association. Legal experts say invoking 8 U.S.C. §1225 for an “officer safety” criminal probe is tenuous, raising First Amendment and surveillance concerns. The case follows similar DHS/ICE subpoenas to Meta and Google targeting campus activists, signaling a broader pattern.